SPRINGFIELD, Illinois (CWNews.com) - A proposed law under
consideration by Illinois' Senate could require all
hospitals in the state, including the 50 Catholic
hospitals, to provide abortifacient "emergency
contraception" to rape victims.

The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty said in an open
letter to Senate President James Philip last week that it
would challenge the law in court if passed as a violation
of the constitutional right to freedom of religion. The
bill, HB3201, would require all hospitals to provide "oral
and written information concerning ... postcoital emergency
contraception," and "medication ... for use as postcoital
emergency contraception."

"These requirements would force medical professionals in
the 50 Illinois hospitals sponsored by the Catholic Church
to violate fundamental teachings of the Catholic faith
under penalty of law," the Becket Fund said.

So-called emergency contraception uses drugs to prevent a
fertilized ovum, an unborn child, from implanting in his
mother's womb and causing a spontaneous abortion. "The use
of 'postcoital emergency contraception' once ovulation has
occurred serves only to prevent implantation of a
fertilized ovum," the group said. "That, under long
standing Catholic moral teaching, is an abortion. Needless
to say, Catholic hospitals and their personnel cannot
perform abortions or refer patients to others for
abortions."